Magakian wins by first-round submission

January 29, 2012|By Grant Gordon

Sevak Magakian’s road back to the Ultimate Fighting Championship continues to be a road of destruction.

On Saturday night at the California Fight Syndicate’s event at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Magakian laid waste to Eddie Mendez, garnering a brutal submission victory less than a minute into the opening round of their lightweight mixed-martial-arts bout.

“I was pretty happy,” said Glendale's Magakian. “But I felt bad. I think I broke his shoulder or dislocated it. I heard the pop.

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“That’s my move. If I got you, I’ll take you all the way.”

The victory was Magakian’s third in a row and ninth in his last 10 bouts, as he secured a savage kimura for the eighth submission win in his 10-3 career.

Mendez (2-7) was a late replacement who took an early exit. Scheduled to face Alex Garcia on the show, Magakian was told Garcia was injured five days before the bout, but it hardly affected Magakian.

“I didn’t care,” Magakian said. “As long as I’m ready to go, I don’t care. I was ready, I was healthy, I was in shape.”

Mendez threw a leg kick to start and then a big right cross that grazed Magakian and brought the fighters together. Magakian went for a judo throw, but slipped and Mendez tried to take his back standing. Magakian, whose strength advantage was noticeable throughout the brief fight, then slammed Mendez to the canvas, throwing him over his back. Magakian instantly dropped down looking for a submission, first going for an arm bar, but Mendez fought it off and Magakian transitioned.

“At that point, I went for a kimura,” said Magakian, who was cornered by Gokor Chivichyan, Alex Ariza and Glendale's Karen Darabedyan.

And he got it, locking in the arm lock and ripping back to notch the win.

While some fighters are disappointed with a short fight after all the training, Magakian couldn’t have been happier with the abbreviated evening.

“As much as I can finish fast, that’s good for me,” Magakian said. “If you don’t get hit, then you don’t get injured.”

It’s the ninth finish in Magakian’s career, with all nine having come in the first round. After he was a cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2010, Magakian emerged with a rib injury. He returned to action on Nov. 29, 2011 in Burbank when he beat David Gardner in the first round via technical knockout and, after Saturday’s win, believes he’s on the road back to the UFC.

“I’m pretty happy,” Magakian said. “I think I need two more good fights to get back to the UFC.”

Magakian might even fight again as early as Thursday, as he said if there are any late changes to the King of the Cage’s card at San Manuel Casino, he would gladly step up. Either way, he wants to fight again soon.